The Power Of The Management Mind

3 February, 2012

The human mind has been a fascination for me for many years. Interestingly, around 90% of what we know about the human brain has been discovered in the last 15 years. This has profound effects on how we manage and lead our people. Gone are the days when we could just tell people what to do and they would do it. Today, we need to determine the key motivations of our team members and communicate with them on a different level, if we are going to get the best out of them.

I came across an interesting piece that shows how incredible the brain is, and can influence how we think about trying to be perfect in everything we do…

See how easy it is for you to read this paragraph:

THE PAOMNNEHAL PWEOR OF THE HMUAN MNID

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist andlsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

When I first saw that, it blew me away. I thought that bad spelling was bad because it was unreadable. Now I realise that it just means unprofessionalism. People know exactly what you mean…they just don’t admire your intelligence or your proof reading.

Your mind is capable of incredible things. It can create new designs, build new buildings, change lives, produce happiness or encourage relationships. By identifying how your mind works, you can create a leadership legacy that will be followed by many.

A good leader will understand that all team members have a different way of viewing things. The brain has filters that are peculiar and specific to each individual. By identifying how a person thinks through an idea or a concept, we will be able to follow their thought patterns and see their perspective on things.

How valuable this could be for managers! You won’t have to guess the meanings of their discussions…you will be able to think through the repercussions and identify the true meanings. And you do this by asking questions that eliminate all ambiguity. The mind splits through the fog and clears all misunderstandings. It allows you to see the thoughts of another clearly.

As a leader, this makes things easier for you. You create ideas for people to follow and you get them on your side. You drive initiatives through to completion and get all involved to see the benefits. You instill passion and excitement in projects, because you understand the drive that makes people do what they do.

All this derives from the four-pounds of muscle between you ears. We can only scratch the surface of what we can do and achieve, but even that is remarkable. Indeed, Phenomenal!